Gershwin musical comes to Berkeley Rep in June

Who could ask for anything more? In 's wonderful news for fans of the great American songbook, Berkeley Repertory Theatre will present the musical "George Gershwin Alone."

Starring Hershey Felder as the iconic composer, this tuneful 90-minute show is a valentine to the life and work of the music legend.

Gershwin wrote more than 1,000 tunes that continue to captivate the public ear. George and his brother Ira, born and raised in Brooklyn by their Jewish immigrant parents, came to fame for a mind-boggling catalog of standards that includes "Embraceable You," "Fascinating Rhythm," "I Got Rhythm," "The Man I Love," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "'S Wonderful," and "They Can't Take That Away from Me."

Staged by director Joel Zwick ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding"), the production has been described by critics as "a gift" in which "there's not a sour note." The solo show, which traces the man's life and work from his humble roots in Brooklyn to his death at the age of 38, runs June 8-23. Gershwin, who died of an undiagnosed brain tumor, did not live long enough to see his songs become famous. As the show notes, he never chased hits instead preferring to embrace groundbreaking projects such as "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Porgy and Bess."

Felder, a pianist in his own right, has made a name by channeling composers in works such as "Gershwin," "Beethoven, As I Knew Him" and "Maestro Bernstein." As one critic noted, he "melts the audience like a giant campfire marshmallow."